


【Շђє ƓคՇєкєєρєɾ】

by Arthuria_PenDragon



Series: ❦ 𝕂𝕟𝕊: 𝕋𝕙𝕖 𝔽𝕒𝕞𝕚𝕝𝕪 ❦ [9]
Category: Kuroko no Basuke | Kuroko's Basketball
Genre: Altered Mental States, Alternate Universe, Ambiguous/Open Ending, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Angst with a Happy Ending, AoKuro BROTP, Aomine Daiki & Kuroko Tetsuya Brotherhood, Aomine Daiki & Kuroko Tetsuya Friendship, Aomine Daiki & Momoi Satsuki Friendship, BAMF Kuroko Tetsuya, Basketball, Bets & Wagers, Bittersweet, Brotp, Comfort/Angst, Desperation, Emotional Baggage, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Families of Choice, Family Dynamics, Family Feels, Friendship, Gen, GoM as a Family, I Don't Even Know, Inspired by Fanart, Kinda, Kuroko Tetsuya & Momoi Satsuki Friendship, POV Third Person Omniscient, Partnership, Phone Calls & Telephones, Platonic Life Partners, Platonic Male/Male Relationships, Platonic Relationships, Possessive Aomine Daiki, Possessive in a PLATONIC way, Rain, Randomness, References to Depression, Team as Family, The Oath, The Zone, Timeline What Timeline, Two Shot, Unhealthy Coping Mechanisms, Why Did I Write This?, Wordcount: Under 10.000, friends/family, inspired by picture
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-16
Updated: 2021-01-17
Packaged: 2021-03-13 23:47:21
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 8,283
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28786674
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Arthuria_PenDragon/pseuds/Arthuria_PenDragon
Summary: Aomine can't stand being alone, so he turns to Akashi –begsAkashi, to change their Oath. It turns out, it took just a few nice words Akashi (and Tetsu) wanted to hear.But Seirin – especially Kagami– won't let Kuroko go.So they settle this the way they always do. With Basketball. And Aominefinally understands.༻✦༺--༻✧༺--༻✦༺AKA, Aomine meets The Gatekeeper of the Zone.
Relationships: Aomine Daiki & Kuroko Tetsuya, Aomine Daiki & Kuroko Tetsuya & Momoi Satsuki, Generation of Miracles & Generation of Miracles, Kuroko Tetsuya & Seirin High Basketball Team Members, Kuroko Tetsuya & Touou High Basketball High Members
Series: ❦ 𝕂𝕟𝕊: 𝕋𝕙𝕖 𝔽𝕒𝕞𝕚𝕝𝕪 ❦ [9]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2021426
Comments: 2
Kudos: 97





	1. Շђє ɾєคɭıรคՇı๏ŋ

**Author's Note:**

> KEY:  
> "Words" normal speech  
>  _"Words"_ emphasis/shouting/memory  
>  _ **"Words"**_ person on the phone, not heard  
>  **"Words"** person on the phone, phone on speaker

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Beta read by @Stef and reuploaded on 16/02/2021

It took him longer to realise what was wrong than he would have liked. It took him longer to realise than he would ever _admit_ — because if he did admit the truth, he wouldn’t ever be called anything but _Ahomine_ for the rest of his life and that was not okay with him. He didn’t like when Satsuki called him “Dai” in front of others, but even that was better than being called stupid. (Satsuki was his childhood friend, _his sister in all but blood_ , but if others heard what she called him, they might start to talk. Then she’d quit calling him that — at least during the week/school days/tournaments/gathering. But still, whenever she called him “Aomine-kun,” it made his skin _crawl..._ oh, no. Even thinking about it gave him chills, so stop. _Just stop_.)

The point was that he would never admit how long it took him to _realise it_ . (To realise that _playing without Tetsu was not the same_ , not nearly as good... but he didn’t have the courage to approach the teal-haired boy. He had no idea _how_ to approach him... so he didn’t. He just drowned in the darkness instead — Tetsu said he was the Shadow, but for Aomine, Tetsu was _Light_ , funnily enough.)

When the realisation struck him, he hated himself and basketball. He hated basketball more than anything. 

(So to escape the hate, the bitterness, he pulled up walls as high as Mount Fuji. To escape all the darkness that was creeping into his soul, he became detached. He started skipping practice, skipping even the smaller matches, skipping classes, ignoring the requests and orders of his coach. Mostly because he could get away with it. He didn’t allow his new teammates close. On occasion, he was even distant _with Satsuki..._ )

Or so he tried to tell himself. At first, it was just that his enthusiasm was tamped down by the fact that few — if any — could keep up with him on the court. But at that moment during that match when he realised _what_ he had lost...

... _when he had realised that_ **_he_ ** _had pushed Tetsu — his most precious friend,_ **_his brother_ ** _— away..._

Then, as if adding salt to the wound, Kagami entered the Zone too. He enjoyed the match — he enjoyed that someone could keep up with him, could challenge him, other than Kise and Akashi. It was good. Exhilarating even! And then they’d won, which just sweetened the pot even further because he’d had a good match against someone who wasn’t one of his teammates — siblings? — and then he had won!

But, on the way to the bus, he suddenly stopped in the corridor. The sweet triumph of victory turned into the most bitter poison he’d ever experienced.

Kagami had entered the Zone. (And Aomine wasn’t as much of an idiot as everyone claimed. Maybe he wasn’t the brightest light bulb in the drawer, but he _wasn’t_ a total idiot either. So he knew. He knew that eventually, at some point, Kagami _would_ reach the Gate of the Zone.)

If Kagami reached the Zone’s Second Gate and he passed the Gatekeeper... he would be stronger, better than Aomine.

And Aomine would lose Tetsu forever.

Because Tetsu looked for a strong partner. A partner who cared about him, a partner who _loved_ basketball the same way Tetsu himself did. Aomine and Kagami were exactly the people Tetsu looked for — with one big difference between them. Kagami had Tetsu with him _now_ , and Aomine _had pushed Tetsu away._ He should have made sure his Shadow would never leave his side, never try looking for a stronger, brighter Light.

Was he even a Light... with no Shadow beside him?

He would get Tetsu back. He had to. (Was he even still _worthy_ of Tetsu? Was he? **_He_ ** had ruined their partnership, their bond, not Tetsu. He could see that now. By the end of their Third Year at Teikō, he had become everything he had sworn never to be... _He was that kind of person even now_.)

His stomach knotted in disgust and self-loathing. Bile rose into his throat, and he felt like throwing up, disgusted with himself. Damn it. _God fucking damn it!_

“Aomine?“ his coach called, the entire team stopping to look at him. “Is something wrong?“

Aomine’s head was swimming. He had pushed Tetsu away. He had become the player, the person he had sworn never to be. He had sworn it to his father, before the man had died, that he would never do anything without passion. And that he would certainly never play basketball just for the heck of it.

( _“Basketball is passion, son. You can only be your best if you love the game. If you trust your teammates,_ ” his father had said, as they stood on the street court. They were surrounded by a few of his father’s old friends who had played with him since his childhood. Aomine had learnt basketball from them. He had learnt on the streets from his father, from his father’s friends, from their opponents, from strangers. He had learned from all sorts of very different people, but they had all said the same thing — that basketball was a team sport, and it needed passion.)

But Aomine had pushed his most precious teammate away. He’d thrown his _passion_ for the game out the window...

Tetsu was **_his_ ** _Shadow_ , his brother. (Was still he now? Tetsu had Kagami... because Aomine had pushed him away. And Kagami reached The Zone. If the redhead could get past the Gatekeeper like Aomine had failed to do for a very long time, then he’ll never see Tetsu smile again. Tetsu would never offer his fist for a brotherly fist bump. _Tetsu would not be his Shadow anymore._ )

If he couldn’t get past the damn Gatekeeper... Tetsu would forever be out of his reach.

“Dai?“ Satsuki called. “Are you okay?”

As he looked up, Aomine’s breath hitched. Tōō’s team was looking at him in confusion and worry, but Aomine could barely register their presence. He focused on Satsuki. But the worry and confusion in her eyes were just too much.

He choked on his own words, “I fucked up... Didn't I, Imōto? You tried... _he tried..._ ” he choked again.

Satsuki cocked an eyebrow — in a disturbingly Akashi-like way — and crossed her arms. “What is it? Please speak in _full_ sentences, Daiki. I can’t understand you otherwise.”

Oh, damn. She was pissed too. She never really called him “Daiki” — only when she was pissed. It was a habit she’d picked up from Tetsu, he remembered. Tetsu only ever called him by his full name when he was really, _really pissed_ — like that one time when he had knocked over the Phantom’s vanilla milkshakes _twice_ and even managed to drop his popsicle on Tetsu’s (freshly washed) white-and-blue uniform. _Ouch_. A pissed-off Tetsu was _worse_ than a pissed-off, bloodthirsty Akashi, in Aomine’s opinion. (Hell, even _Akashi_ had seemed wary of their Sixth Man. For the rest of the week, _everyone_ had kept two steps away from the teal-haired Phantom.)

He took a deep breath and rubbed his face, shoving his bag into Satsuki’s hand and already reaching for his phone. “I won’t lose Tetsu,“ he insisted, (he refused to even entertain the idea _that he might have already lost Tetsu_. He refused to entertain the idea that perhaps the teal had given up and turned away from him to look for a new, better partnership, for better games with Kagami Taiga.) “Please take my stuff home. Gotta speak with Akashi. Damn my pride... I have to speak with Akashi,” he muttered and dialled the redhead.

The phone rang... and rang... With each ring, Aomine got more and more restless. He felt like a caged animal.

 **_“Hello? Daiki? Why are you calli — ?”_ ** Akashi spoke into the line, and Aomine, against his better judgement, cut him off.

“We have to speak, Akashi. Really. It’s important. _Please_. Like now. Or as soon as possible... !” he couldn’t stay in just one spot, so he started pacing the width of the corridor. He couldn’t just run off without knowing where Akashi wanted to meet, if the redhead granted his request.

Tōō was staring, and someone whispered “Did Aomine just say _‘please’_ to someone?” but he didn’t care. They didn’t understand. They couldn’t understand. Satsuki maybe... but since she had never played basketball professionally, since he had never told her about the Gatekeeper, she was probably also confused.

Because damn it... he’d bet all the popsicles and banana milk in the world that the Gatekeeper in front of that mountain-sized asshole of a gate was none other than the Phantom. ( _And he had pushed Tetsu away..._ )

**_“Why the desperation, Daiki? Has something happened? Is perhaps Satsuki...”_ **

“Satsuki’s _fine_ , healthy. Don’t worry. It’s... _the Zone_ ,” he choked on his words, “the Gate. Or rather, _the Gatekeeper_ ,” he said, whirling on his heels and walking towards the other wall again. Sakurai took a few hurried steps backwards to avoid him. Aomine ignored the apologetic squeak of the Shooting Guard.

**_“Have you... perhaps uncovered their identity?”_ **

Aomine growled, “Don’t play dumb, Akashi! _You’ve always known who the fucking Gatekeeper is!_ You’ve gotten past the second gate!” he kicked the wall and then turned to walk back again.

**_“I never had a Gatekeeper, Daiki. Mine was locked with... a few nasty chains. But... you are correct. I’m aware of said person’s identity for you.”_ **

“ _You knew_ ” he spat, “and you never told me!”

 **_“You had to come to this realisation yourself, otherwise it would never have worked for you. It took you longer than we thought it would.”_ ** Akashi’s tone was annoyingly silky and amused. If the redhead were here at the moment, Aomine would have tried stabbing his (ex)captain with his own scissors.

“So... Tetsu told you?!” he growled. “Just because Tetsu was the freakin’ Vice-cap... _he told you?!_ ” he kicked the wall again, this time with his other foot. “And you had us split apart anyway?! You... _you bastard_!” he snarled, pulling the phone away from his ear and clutching the device even tighter than he already was. He glared at the bright screen as if the shorter male could see his expression through the phone.

**“Now, now Daiki. DO watch your language when speaking to me or there will be GRAVE consequences. As for this conversation... it’s not something to be dealt with through the phone, definitely not when you’re roaring like someone who’s lost their mind.”**

He snarled, “ _Akashi..._!”

**”QUIET.”**

Aomine cringed and swallowed hard, as he raised the phone back to his ear. _Shit_. He’d pissed the redhead off. “I...“ he took a deep breath, running a hand through his hair. “Watashi o yurushite, Akashi,” he sighed again. “Could... could we meet somewhere?”

**“Yes. Do you remember the teahouse we frequented after we won matches? Close to Teikō?“**

“Hai.“

 **“Then... be there in...”** there was a moment of silence. **“Be there in an hour. I believe Satsuki will be fine with the rest of Tōō?”**

Aomine grunted, “Yeah, she’ll be okay.”

**“That is most reassuring to hear. I will see you soon. If you’re dragging me there, DO be punctual.”**

“O-of course, Akashi,” and with that, the line went dead.

Aomine grunted, throwing his back against the wall and staring at the ceiling for a moment. “What was that all about, Aomine-kun?” Imayoshi asked. “I thought you no longer kept contact with the other Miracles? That... sounded like your ex-Captain?”

Aomine’s eyes went wide, and he looked at Imayoshi. “What — ?”

“ _Bakayaro_ ,“ Satsuki grunted, glaring at him. “You were so worked up that you put him on speaker. I tried telling you, but you were completely ignoring _everyone_!”

Aomine groaned, burying his face in his hands, before he looked at Satsuki. “Don’t tell Akashi that. I _don’t_ want to die.”

Satsuki deadpanned, “You were _roaring_ into the phone, _Ahomine_. Akashi-kun doesn’t like that. You might die the moment he sees you, anyway. But don’t worry Nī-san, I’ll visit your grave every day. I’m sure Tetsu will visit at least once a week.”

Aomine groaned, “Fuck my life.”

Satsuki huffed, “Go, you _aho_!” she growled. “You call him and then you’re just standing here? What if you’re late for the meeting? How many reasons do you want to give him to kill you slowly and painfully?”

Aomine’s eyes went wide, “S-shit!” he sprang to his feet and ran towards the door. As he yelled back to Satsuki, he didn’t even glance back at his sister-figure, “See you later, Satsuki! If I do die, my prized possessions go to Tetsu. Tell him _I’m sorry and that I understand what he’d been trying to tell me_!”

* * *

Tōō looked at their manager, very confused, “What was this about?” Susa asked.

Momoi shrugged, “I have no idea... but it sounded like _Aho_ mine figured out a riddle of Tetsu’s. And Tetsu’s riddles are like life lessons, so it might do him some good. The fact that he demanded that Akashi-kun met him, as stupid as it was...”

“Why would it be... stupid?” Imayoshi asked, raising an eyebrow at her. “I admit that this Akashi is probably good at reigning Aomine in, if he made Aomine cringe like that even through the phone...”

Momoi shook her head, “You... hm, maybe I shouldn’t say this... but ah...” she shrugged, deciding to go ahead anyway. “There were a few rules between the seven of us, you know. Back at Teikō.”

“What sort of _rules..._?“ asked their coach, confused and maybe even intrigued. Or was he wary instead?

“Eh, like... you _never_ take Tetsu’s vanilla milkshakes. EVER. And you _never_ say ‘no’ to Akashi-kun... and you _certainly don’t demand things from him_ ,” she shivered. “In our Second Year, before Kise-kun came along, but just a little after Akashi-kun was made the new Captain, there was a fool who tried to. The idiot thought he could get away with pissing Akashi-kun off by skipping practice. After skipping practice, he even dared to demand to be put in games, after Akashi-kun benched him as punishment for skipping,” she pressed her lips together tightly. “You know... there’s a reason why other ex-Teikō Basketball Club members fear Akashi-kun even today. And there’s a good reason why none of us ever say ‘no’ to him. We like being safe and healthy, thank you very much. Ah, he was a good Captain... considerate of his players, and the managers too. But Hell hath no wrath, like Akashi Seijūrō — or Tetsu — scorned. It was an unspoken thing between the Club members. We faced angry teachers and coaches with a smile on our face, just so long as we could avoid Akashi-kun and Tetsu if, when, they were angry.”

Tōō shared a few wary looks, and then Susa looked at her, “Do we even want to know what events led to those rules, Momoi-chan?”

She shook her head, “No,“ she glanced at Sakurai and a few others. “I wouldn’t want some of you to be mentally scarred. It’s enough to know... that if we’re lucky, Aomine-kun may stay alive, and we won’t have to go looking for a new Ace.”

Somehow, that wasn’t so reassuring for the rest of Tōō. But they couldn’t do anything about the situation by now. Aomine had already left, after all.

* * *

Akashi Seijūrō sat calmly in the booth, sipping his tea, and waiting for his teammate — no, **not** ex-teammate, because the _Kiseki_ were still **_his_ ** players — to arrive. He heard the door open, but he didn’t look up. It may or may not be Daiki...

...a minute later, another figure slipped into the seat opposite his. Daiki looked winded and desperate. Something told him that the Ace’s dishevelled appearance was only partially due to the match he had just played — and won for Tōō.

“Daiki,” he greeted, studying the dark-skinned male.

“Akashi,” there was a moment of silence. At that moment, the Rakuzan student noted that there was no food or banana milk anywhere near the other. That proved just how serious this situation was for him.

“It’s Tetsu, isn’t it?” Aomine demanded sharply. “ _Tetsu_ is the damn Gatekeeper!”

“Keep your voice low, Daiki,” he instructed coolly, taking another sip. “And... maybe he is. Maybe he isn’t. I don’t know. I never had a Gatekeeper — my Gate was different than yours.”

“Don’t play Akashi!” he growled. “If you knew this — because, damn it, _Tetsu always told you everything..._ why make us split up? Why separate me from him?”

“Of course Tetsuya told me a lot of things — I taught him. I was his mentor... but you are mistaken if you think that he told me everything. He told you everything because, as he phrased it, _you_ were his brother, not me. I was a good friend, a mentor — someone he respects, someone he looks up to. We never stood on equal ground. It may have been my doing or his, or maybe both of ours, but we never stood on equal ground. So there were things he kept from me, just as there were things _you_ kept from me.”

Daiki’s eyes went very wide. Akashi wondered _what_ the Power Forward may have kept secret, “A-Akashi... I...”

He raised a hand, and the other clamped his mouth shut, “I do not know what you kept — still keep — from me, nor do I know why you chose to do so. If I wanted, I _could_ find out, but I will not,” he said, looking at the other sharply. “Our situations are _not_ the reasons you dragged me here, that much you made clear on the phone.”

Daiki grunted, burying his face in his hands, “If... I think Tetsu’s the Gatekeeper. I... I’m not sure about it, but it would make _so much_ sense. But if he is... why did you separate us? _If_ he is — **IF** — then you must have _known_ that without him, I wouldn’t ever be able to play my best.”

Akashi shook his head, “You misunderstand, Daiki. The Oath _binds_ the _five_ of us. Not Tetsuya. _Never him_. If he wanted, he could have gone with you to Tōō. He hadn’t wanted to. When I asked him if he would join Ryōta... or maybe me, he declined. He said that while he cherishes playing with us, it would not be the same. He said that his one true partner was you. But he didn’t want to go with you either, at that time.”

At the time, Akashi admitted, even if only to himself, it didn’t make sense to him. Tetsuya was a different kind of player. He was equally skilled as the rest of them, but his style was drastically different and reliant on someone. Not that reliance was a bad thing... not in his case, when it was so clearly effective.

Okay, so yes, teamwork was needed in basketball. Tetsuya was right. But they were slipping apart, especially after the Nationals. He _could_ have ordered the six — seven, because Momoi was a key part of the group too — to stay together. He could have, but that wouldn’t have achieved anything. At least like this, they could challenge one another. It also seemed that the distance had helped Daiki realise a few things.

“He’s the fucking Gatekeeper,” the Power Forward muttered.

“Again, I do not know,” he said steadily, “and please do _not_ curse.“

He didn’t know who Daiki’s Gatekeeper was — Tetsuya had never... _wait_. He had hinted at something like that. _Ah..._ so Tetsuya _was_ the Gatekeeper, that unknown figure whose standards Daiki couldn’t meet. He couldn’t meet those standards, not because of any lack of skill... but because by the time Daiki met the Gatekeeper at the depths of the Zone, the fractures in the team were deep. They were still friends, family — but _something wasn’t okay_ with how they played together.

They couldn’t quite pinpoint _what_ was wrong, so they had split up, hoping to find their answers — hoping to find their passion for basketball again.

“You have to test your theory,“ he said, placing his elbows lazily on the table. He wove his fingers together and dropped his chin on his hands, studying the other and waiting for his reactions.

“ _How_ am I supposed to do _that_?“ Daiki growled, glaring at him. “We play for different teams now!”

Akashi hummed, “Be creative, Daiki. Be creative.“

The taller male scowled, “Sometimes I wonder if Tetsu learned the freaking riddles from you, or you learned them from him.”

Akashi smiled, amused, by the accusation “That is not relevant now, is it?“

Aomine sighed, leaning back against his seat, “Let’s say I figure out a way to... to prove it. That Tetsu is my Gatekeeper. Maybe... I can even get him to play with me again. _IF_ that happens, would you allow it? Can he come to Tōō?“

“As I said before, the Oath does not bind Tetsuya. He is free to do as he pleases,“ Akashi tilted his head to the side, watching the Ace amusedly. “But remember, it’s not me you will have to impress, Daiki. You have to prove yourself to _Tetsuya_. There are things he expects from you.“

The Power Forward raised an eyebrow in disbelief, “Wh-what would he expect from me? Even after all _this..._?”

Akashi hummed, “That is for you to figure out. Just as it is for you to figure out how you will be able to play with him for a match... to test your theory. After all, he is currently a player of Seirin and partnered with Kagami Taiga.”

At the name of the American, Daiki’s dark blue eyes lit up with wildfire, “No. Tetsu’s my Shadow. My brother. I’ll... I’ll get him back! _Somehow_.“

Akashi didn’t say anything in response, merely finished his tea. Aomine studied him for a long moment, and the redhead raised an eyebrow at him. “Shouldn’t you be planning, I don’t know, how to impress Tetsuya? How to accomplish any part of this endeavour?“ he asked amusedly.

For a moment, the other was frozen, and then he jumped to his feet and bolted from the teahouse as if he was being chased. Akashi watched, his heterochromatic eyes glinting with barely suppressed laughter. He shook his head, “Took you long enough to realise, _Aho_ mine,“ he murmured as he stood up to leave.


	2. Bɾ๏Շђєɾђ๏๏ԃ ๏Ŧ LıɠђՇ คŋԃ Sђคԃ๏ɯ

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Beta read by @Stef and reuploaded on 20/02/2021

He didn’t even know _how_ he convinced his team — or, more precisely, how he persuaded Imayoshi and Harasawa-kantoku — that this practice match against Seirin was _a_ _question of life and death_. Nonetheless, he had managed it.

Somehow, the two had agreed, and Satsuki had sent the invitation to them. To Aomine’s great relief, they even accepted!

But, instead of holding the practice match in the gym like they usually did, they agreed to hold it on the nearby street court since it was empty, and the day seemed pleasant enough. Where they played meant little to Aomine. He just needed to see Tetsu and wanted to put his plan into action.

He sat, leaning against the chain fence with one leg pulled up, as he stared at the sky. He couldn’t help but wonder if the bait would work. Tetsu was smarter than that . . . but no. This had to work. He had to test his theory. 

More importantly, he wanted his brother to know that he understood. Did he?

He wasn’t  _ sure _ about this . . . but if he didn’t try, he would never know.

Seirin arrived, but Aomine didn’t stand, “Hey Aomine, move! They’re here and you were the one who wanted this match!” Wakamatsu grunted irritably.

After hearing those sharp words, Aomine could feel the surprised glances of Seirin, but he ignored them. Slowly, he stood up, his eyes focusing on a certain person. Their gazes met.

Icy blue on dark blue.

“ _ Tetsuya _ ,” he called, his tone serious. It felt odd to be using the other’s full name. He had never called the teal that; it was their Captain’s habit more than it was ever his.

The Phantom’s eyes narrowed and returned the gesture, “ _ Daiki _ . I heard from Akashi-kun you wanted to see me — but to go as far as to get our teams to meet . . . If you wanted something, you could have just told  _ me _ to come here after school.”

“Nah, no fun,“ he dismissed. “Besides, it was  _ you _ , who kept insisting that Basketball is a team sport. I wanna have some fun and for that, we need our teams.”

“You’re planning something,“ was the flat statement from the Phantom.

Aomine snorted, “And if I am? Are you backing down without even knowing what the challenge is,  _ Tetsu _ ?“

“We’re not backing down from any challenge — especially not one coming from  _ you _ .“ Kagami said, stepping behind Tetsu and putting a hand on his shoulder.

Aomine scowled at the way-too-familiar gesture from the redhead. Tetsu was  _ his _ Shadow, his partner.  _ His brother _ . Kagami should not even  _ touch _ him. “Well . . . that’s fine by me, but the challenge is for Tetsu, not for you, Kagami . . . although it does affect you, I suppose.”

Tetsu eyed him for a long moment, before nodding, “Let’s hear it then, Daiki.“

Well,  _ that _ was a step towards improvement, he guessed. At least Tetsu was using his given name. He hadn’t done that in a long while. “I wanna show you something. So . . . I want you to play with us — I want you to play this match for Tōō.”

Gasps filled the court, Seirin and Tōō both breaking out into protests at these words. Tetsu’s face didn’t change from its usual blankness. “And why would I do that, Aomine-kun? It was  _ you _ who said we were no longer partners. What was it you said? Ah yes . . . ‘ _ I don’t even know how to catch your passes anymore, _ ’ was it not? What makes you think . . . I’m going to change my passes just to suit you? My partner is Kagami-kun now.”

Aomine shook his head, “I never said you have to change anything. I just said you have to play this match for Tōō,” he crossed his arms adamantly.

Tetsu raised an eyebrow skeptically, “And where’s the catch?“

“Let me show you what I want, Tetsu. What if I told you I can walk past the second one? That it’s you who’s standing there, who has always stood there?“

Tetsu’s eyes went wide for a moment in shock, but the blankness overtook it very fast. “You  _ threw that chance away _ , Aomine-kun. You threw it away a long while ago. It was  _ you _ , who walked away when I offered my hand.”

Aomine scowled, “So you don’t even want to try, huh? You won’t even give me the chance, all because you’re too attached to the  _ weakling _ ?  _ His Light is too dim, _ ” he gestured at Kagami. “What — has he taken you to bed or something?“

Several people around them hissed and gasped. Tetsu’s eyes became icy. Aomine swallowed hard — had that been a bit too much? A dark cloud was gathering around Tetsu, and he took a step closer. Aomine took a step back.

“Watch what you’re saying, Aomine-kun, or I will be forced to say we’re no longer even acquaintances,” Tetsu delivered his ultimatum frostily, his eyes dark. “Challenge accepted. What if I — we — lose . . . or win?”

Aomine hummed, pretending to think, “If what I want fails and Seirin wins, then you’ll get a month worth of milkshakes and I’ll walk away. You play with Kagami and Seirin the way you want, I’ll never bother you again.”

Tetsu eyed him sharply, looking for lies — but there were no lies. He was speaking the truth. “If your little plan — whatever this is — succeeds? What then?“

“Then you’re coming to my side. You’re transferring to Tōō Gakuen,” he stated simply.

Several people gasped while others — Kagami, but also most of Seirin — started to protest. Satsuki gasped sharply in the background. Even Tetsu seemed taken aback. The teal needed a moment to answer, but before he could, Kagami spoke.

“You bastard! You left him and now you want . . . !”

“It’s alright, Kagami-kun,” Tetsu said, his tone leaving no place for an argument, but he didn’t turn to look at the American returnee. “Akashi-kun will not allow it. We . . .”

“Tetsuya . . .” a smooth voice cut in, and everyone turned. Aomine snorted, when his eyes found the rest of his siblings, sauntering into the street court on Tōō’s side as if they had no better place to be — which was hard to believe, considering that Akashi and Kise were  _ always _ busy.

“Akashi-kun . . .” Tetsu called, nodding to the others, “Mina-san . . .”

“Kuroko/Kurokocchi/Kuro-chin,” the others greeted calmly, as they leaned against the fence to watch. Only Akashi remained standing, his bi-coloured eyes switching between the two of them.

“As I said . . .” Akashi spoke, an amused smile on his face, “that oath never meant you, and you know it. I  _ did _ ask if you wished to come with me to Rakuzan or even to go with Ryōta to Kaijō. And I remember you declining both options. Since Daiki had been most determined to drag me here, just to have this smoothed over . . .” he shrugged, as regal and elegant as always. “Well, this was always between the two of you,  _ not _ the six of us. That was  _ your _ feud, not ours. You made your decisions, as Daiki made his. If you accept his challenge, I won’t stand in your way — even if Daiki succeeds and you’re transferring,” he smirked. “Maybe, it might even be . . .  _ interesting _ , in the end.”

Aomine carefully breathed out through his nose. Both of their teams were now staring at them, wondering what this was about, probably because the rest of his — their — siblings were here too. Akashi was Akashi . . . always dramatic. And he probably wanted to see how this situation might turn out.

Aomine turned away from the four of them and looked at the Phantom. “So . . . what do you say, Tetsu? My trick succeeds, you’re transferring. If I fail, you’ll never hear a word from me.”

Aomine swallowed, praying to the kami, that the Phantom would accept the offer.  _ Please, please, please  _ . . . just let Tetsu give him one last chance. He wasn’t sure he deserved another chance, but he couldn’t help but pray for it anyway.

“Consider your terms accepted,” Tetsu said at last, his words drawing surprised and indignant noises from Seirin. Aomine felt a spark of triumph flare up within him as Kagami glared at him.

“You . . . !  _ You jerk! _ “ the American spat. “Don’t think I’m going to let you drag Kuroko away from us! He’s playing for Seirin now. You had your chance and you fucked it up!”

Aomine felt like someone had thrown him from a five-story building, and he was falling, all the air leaving his lungs. But the surprise and the pain only lasted for a moment. He composed himself quickly and straightened to his full height.

“We’ll see. I told you a long time ago that your light is far too dim. Now . . . now, I’m going to  _ prove _ it,” he said.

Tetsu gave him a cool once-over as he walked towards Tōō’s bench. “Don’t speak as if Tōō already won, Aomine-kun.“

* * *

After some readjustments in Tōō’s plans — though really, his teammates were completely unused to how Tetsu played . . . even if they’d seen it in action before. If anyone other than himself would be able to keep track of Tetsu on some level, that would be Imayoshi. The Captain was sharp enough to figure out how Tetsu’s Misdirection worked, but regardless they would still need to take some time for the team to adjust to being able to play around his and Tetsu’s duo.

Once they finished strategizing, Seirin’s coach called for the match to start. Aomine could feel their siblings’ gaze on them, but in this moment, he could only focus on Tetsu. “Why now?“ Tetsu asked, just before they stepped onto the court, and it was just loud enough for Tōō to hear.

Aomine stopped searching his eyes for a second to look away. “You told me, don’t you remember? ‘ _ Come after me, once you figure out what you want, Daiki. _ ’ Those were your words, no? Well, here I am. I came after you, and I’m showing you what I want,” he took a deep breath and walked onto the court, taking his position. He knew very well that Tōō’s bewildered eyes were on him. (But that did not matter. Tōō did not need to understand this, for it was just between him and Tetsu. It had always been only between the two of them.)

Moments after everyone took their spots, Seirin’s coach blew the whistle and threw the ball into the air. Kagami won the tip-off, but Aomine would not let him get away so easily. He wanted — no, he needed! — to show Tetsu that he finally  _ understood _ .

* * *

Seirin put up more of a fight than they ever had before, and that excited and upset Aomine in equal measures. It seemed they were unwilling to let go of Tetsu — but the thing was . . . Now that he knew what he wanted he was just as unwilling to lose the Phantom. Tetsu was his Shadow, his brother. He and Tetsu belonged side by side. 

Tōō, on the other hand, was still mostly unused to Tetsu, and that made their play a bit sloppy, but that was fine. He and Imayoshi could keep up. It also seemed that while Seirin was used to Tetsu when he played on their side, they fell for Misdirection just as easily as anyone else.

Kagami — and the Eagle-Eyed guy — could keep track of Tetsu just a little better than the rest of Seirin. But that didn’t matter. Because with each passing second, his desire to win grew. With each passing second, he wanted even more to prove to Tetsu that he understood. He wanted Tetsu to know, to feel, that they could play together just as they used to.

He wanted to prove to Tetsu that this time, he would not turn away, like he had back then, back at Teikō. No, this time . . . this time he would strive to be  _ worthy _ of being the partner of someone as amazing and strong as Tetsu — because the Phantom was strong in his own special way. In Tetsu’s own way, he was even stronger than the rest of them.

When he felt his muscles burning with effort, his focus narrowing completely to his teammates — to Tetsu — and the hoop, he allowed himself to feel a moment of elation. But then, he calmed himself. Once more, like so many times before, he was drowning in the watery depths of the Zone. On the outside, he was battling Kagami and Kiyoshi for the ball, the two of them the most determined to win.

But Aomine was even more determined. He was more determined than he had ever been before in his life.

But this time, he didn’t want to win for the sake of winning . . . no. He wanted to win for his brother.

Getting past the First Gate was easy when he was this determined. He pushed it open with the experience that came from doing it many times over. He felt the strength in him grow. His eyes sparked to life.

* * *

Meanwhile on the court — and around it — everyone stared warily. Seeing Aomine’s eyes fill with blue sparks set everyone on edge. They knew what it meant.

Tōō’s coach — and even Momoi — were confused as to why Aomine was letting his restraints fall so easily during a practice match. “What is he doing?” Harasawa asked, glancing at Momoi and hoping that the girl (who was so close to their usually detached Ace) had an answer.

“I — I don’t . . .” Momoi murmured, wide-eyed.

Akashi chuckled, bi-coloured eyes sparking with mirth. Both Harasawa and Momoi looked at the redhead, as did the other Miracles, “Akashi-kun . . .” Momoi called, her eyes narrowing. “You  _ know _ . You know what Dai’s doing,” she stated confidently.

The redhead hummed, “Naturally, Satsuki. He wishes to open — the Zone has two gates. So far, Daiki has only ever opened the first one. Now —  _ now _ he wants to prove that he can open the Second Gate as well.“

A certain blonde snorted with derision, “But Akashicchi . . . that’s never worked for him before! What makes him think that it’s going to work now?“

Akashi grinned, “Simple, Ryōta. This time, he has the key. He has the  _ knowledge _ to open it. And he has the  _ determination _ to succeed. Because if he fails here . . . Daiki will lose what is most precious to him, and he will  _ not _ risk that.“

* * *

Standing in front of the Second Gate was overwhelming. Even from a distance, he could feel the power radiating from behind it. But . . . like always, the figure stood in front of the bronze gate, blocking his access.

The Gatekeeper’s form was clear enough to see, but his face, like always, was shrouded in darkness. Like always, the figure’s presence filled him with uneasiness. But at the same time, for once, he hoped,  _ prayed _ , that he was right about this.

Slowly, he walked closer, and each step seemed to echo in the black nothingness. (How was this even possible? Honestly, the Zone was always so  _ odd _ . . .)

He stopped just far enough away that if he reached out, he would be able to touch the other. He bit his lower lip, as heavy emotions filled him. “I . . .“ he choked, “I understand now. You were right from the very beginning . . . Tetsu.”

For a moment, everything was still —  _ too still _ — but then the figure moved and the second Gate cracked open, its golden light flooding into the Zone, more and more leaking out the wider the gate opened.

And, just as he had assumed, the one standing in front of the Gate was revealed by the light to indeed be the Phantom, “ _ Tetsu _ .”

A small smile appeared on his partner’s face, “Hello, Dai . . .”

The Ace’s breath hitched when he heard his nickname — the one he hadn’t heard in ages. As he stared at the teal, a tear escaped his eyes, “So it’s you. It was always you.“

“Yes,“ Tetsu nodded. “I stood here, waiting . . . waiting for the time when you would realise your faults. When you realised that partnership and passion  _ do _ matter in basketball, not only skill. I was waiting for a player full of fire and passion. Kagami-kun had a great chance of being able to reach this place too — that's why I chose him . . . but now . . .”

“I . . .”

Tetsu reached out a hand. On sheer instinct, Aomine grabbed it. The Phantom smiled, his eyes darkening. It seemed that the brighter the light from beyond the Gate grew, the harder it was to notice Tetsu. “Come on, Dai. I want to see you smile again . . .”

Aomine laughed — the laugh turning into helpless hiccups as he walked towards the Gate. The light was warm around him. Suddenly, he was hyper-aware of everything around him. The brighter the light turned, the more Tetsu disappeared. And yet, he knew exactly where the Phantom stood . . .

_ The brighter the Light, the darker the Shadow . . . _

* * *

Tōō won.

After Aomine opened the Second Gate, he — and Tetsu,  _ because Tetsu had been right there, behind him, next to him, moving, breathing in sync with him,  _ their partnership even better than ever before — had become unstoppable.

So yes. Tōō won, and both teams stared in amazement at the incredible performance the two Miracles had pulled off, side by side. (Someone had even asked, ‘ _ why such an amazing duo would ever choose to split up? _ ’ . . . and Aomine honestly couldn’t say  _ what _ had hit him or what he had been thinking, when he had pushed Tetsu away. Playing with Tetsu, knowing he was there, was exhilarating and perfect.) But right now Aomine didn’t care for their teams or even their other siblings.

The air was heavy and chilly, the dark clouds hanging above them. He knew it was just a matter of minutes before a downpour came. He ignored that too, completely focused on his brother.

“Tetsu . . .”

“You won the bet, it seems,” his Shadow, his brother stated calmly, with just a sliver of sadness slipping into his tone. (Ah, so he truly cherished Seirin, even if the team’s standards were lower than what would suit him the best.)

“It was never about the bet, Tetsu,” he whispered. “I . . . I just wanted to show you that now . . . that I know what I’ve lost. That I  _ understand _ what you were talking about back in Teikō. I wanted to show you . . . that I was . . .” his voice trailed off, his throat tight with unshed tears.

He felt the cold prickle of a few raindrops landing on his skin. The air was heavy with the smell of it too. He knew that perhaps they should look for shelter to duck under, but he also knew this conversation had to happen. It was just between the two of them.

“I was serious.  _ I am serious, _ ” he said. “You’re my brother, Tetsu. My brother in everything but blood. I . . . I told you that I didn’t need you anymore . . .” he looked at the ground, ashamed, watching as it turned darker and darker by the minute, the rain droplets landing with a soft pitter-patter, “. . . but the thing is — you not being beside me was . . .  _ horrible _ . I thought I was truly learning to hate basketball, learning to hate all the skill I had, but that wasn’t exactly true, was it? The others . . . Ryō, Shin, Atsu, and Sei can still challenge me. Hell, even  _ you _ can. You marked me during that match, and you kept it up even longer than I expected . . .”

The rain was truly pouring now, the water cascading down his arms and sticking their jersey to their forms even more than their sweat already had, but neither of them moved.

“And the more I saw you next to Kagami, the more I saw his skill grow . . . when he entered the Zone . . . I . . . I realised it then. I realised what I was missing out on. I . . . It was only after that match that I realised it had always been you in front of the Gate. And I hate myself for this, for what I did, for how long it took. I hate that it took me so long to realise that you were always  _ right _ .“

Tetsu laughed, soft yet strained, as he looked at him. A few tears escaped his eyes, mixing with the rain, “It was never about which of us was right or wrong . . . I just wanted to see you play with a smile again. I hated the distance between us, and I thought that if I found another player — someone, who could challenge you . . .”

“I should have considered your feelings when I said those words,” Aomine whispered. “When I walked away so carelessly . . .”

“And I should have noticed the pressure and stress on you was too much,” Tetsu returned insistently. “We both know you were always bad at handling stress and boredom. Or, at least, you handle it in an unhealthy way . . .”

“I’m sorry Tetsu,” he said again, hugging the shorter male. Their wet clothes were sticking to them but Aomine didn’t care. He just tightened his grip on the Phantom as Tetsu snuggled into him, quiet sobs racking his body. Aomine placed his chin on Tetsu’s head and squeezed his eyes shut. It was either the rain or the salt from his tears that was bothering his eyes . . . but it didn’t matter which.

“I should be apologising too,” Tetsu whispered. “I . . . we were partners. You helped me so much . . . I should have helped you.”

“You helped, Tetsu,” he choked. “I . . . I was just too much of an idiot to realise it. To realise I was never alone, because of you and Satsuki . . .”

“I’ll always help.”

“I know,“ Aomine whispered, “and . . . I will too. If you ever need anything . . . I know you usually turned to Sei for things like that. But . . . he’s far away now, most of the time. You’re my  _ brother _ , don’t hesitate to ask for help, if you need it . . .”

“I won’t.”

They stood there in the middle of the court. The rain beat down on them, but they only clung to one another as if their lives depended on it. For the first time in months — perhaps even a year — they truly understood one another again. They had rebuilt their bond — the old one had been repaired, and now it was stronger than ever.

This time, they would not leave each other behind. Light and Shadow could not exist without one another — they were  _ brothers _ .

* * *

The two teams and the Miracles immediately hurried to find shelter when they felt the first drops of rain. Luckily for all of them, there was a small seating area near the court which had a roof. It protected people from the rain and sun alike. The space wasn’t that big, so they were packed in like sardines, but that could be ignored at the moment. Staying dry was a bit more important than worrying about personal space.

“Hey, where’s Kuroko an . . .” Izuki asked looking around, only to notice that the other two Miracles still hadn’t moved from their spots on the court. The rain was steadily increasing, but neither Aomine nor Kuroko seemed to be willing to move from their spots.

“They’re going to catch a cold like that!” Aida fumed as she moved to march out into the rain and bring the two players to their shelter.

“Don’t,” Akashi said sharply.

Seirin’s coach froze, and then she scowled at the redhead. “They’ll get wet like that and . . .”

“I said,  _ do not dare to disturb them! _ ” Akashi commanded, his voice like a knife. Everyone cringed and attempted to inch farther away from the redhead (as much as they could in the tight space). Only the other Miracles were unmoved. Aida swallowed hard, and even Tōō’s coach looked at the redhead with calculating eyes. “This is between the two of them, and they must deal with it. Leave them be. They have enough common sense not to stay out there too long,” he paused, glancing at the two players. “Well, at least Tetsuya has enough common sense. I would not put it past Daiki to go for a stroll if he feels like it, even in such weather.“

Momoi huffed, “Correct as always. That’s Dai for you.”

Akashi glanced amusedly at the pink-haired girl, “Am I ever wrong?“

Tōō’s manager glanced at him and then shrugged, “The day you’re wrong about something like that, Sei, I’ll start dating Ryō,” she said flippantly.

Aforementioned blonde model choked on his own spit. “ _ Satsucchi _ !  _ That’s _ . . . that’s a  _ horrendous _ idea! You’re like my  _ sister _ !”

Momoi nodded, “Good, because you’re like my brother. But that’s why I said it, Ryō . . .” she gestured at the redhead, “Sei’s never wrong, luckily for us.”

Seirin and Tōō just stared at the odd exchange, even while occasionally throwing glances at Aomine and Kuroko — who were now hugging and clinging to one another, still ignoring the rain.

Akashi scowled, “Ten whole minutes.  _ That’s it. _ That’s too much. Atsushi, help me drag them inside, because damn it, they’re going to get sick. Maybe I overestimated Tetsuya’s ability to maintain rational judgment in this emotional situation . . .!”

The purple-haired Center nodded, but even before either of them could take a step out from under their cover, the two in question disentangled themselves from one another. They crossed the court with hurried steps. Akashi sighed as he watched them approach and leaned against one of the columns supporting the roof.

“What were you  _ thinking _ ?“ Akashi growled, crossing his arms. “Staying out there like that!”

The two blue-haired males shared a look and then shrugged. They seemed oddly relaxed, especially compared to the previous tension that had radiated from them when the match ended. “You said we should deal with it,“ Kuroko deadpanned. “We did.”

Akashi’s eyes narrowed judgmentally. “But not outside, in the pouring rain, Tetsuya! Where’s your better judgement? I know Daiki doesn’t have any left at this point, but even  _ you _ ?!”

“ _ Hey, I object! _ ” Aomine insisted. “I totally have a perfectly fine sense of judgement — !”

“No, you don’t,” Midorima cut him off. “You proved that by being a  _ total imbecile _ and a jerk to Tetsu, when he didn’t deserve it . . .”

“As if  _ you _ were so goddamn  _ perfect _ !” Aomine spat back.

“We never said we were, Dai-chin,” Murasakibara drawled. “We  _ all _ messed up. But you messed up the most. It was you who first called Tet-chin ‘brother.’ Then after Nationals, you were the first one to . . . what’s the word?” he trailed off thoughtfully.

“You were the first one to spit in his face,” Akashi supplied, and Murasakibara hummed in agreement, even as he took a bite of his snacks.

“I tried warning you you were being a jerk,” Kise pointed out as he crossed his arms. “You laughed me in the face and told me you didn’t need anyone.”

Aomine winced at the memory of those words, as if the blonde had physically hit him.

“It’s done now,” Kuroko said with finality, diffusing the situation before it could escalate any further. He glanced at Aomine and smiled. “We’ve dealt with it.”

“Yeah,” Aomine agreed softly as he draped an arm over the younger’s shoulders, pulling him into a side hug. “So . . . I won the bet . . . Are you coming to Tōō, then?“

Kuroko hummed, a smile tugging at his lips. “You pay for my milkshakes for the rest of the school year, and you stop skipping practice. I may just say yes . . .”

Aomine’s eyes went wide as the other Miracles laughed at his expression of absolute horror. “ ** _Nani?!_** TETSU, YOU CAN’T BE _SERIOUS_!”

After all, everything was going to be alright now. Their Light and Shadow duo were finally in sync again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wether Kuroko transfers to Tōō or stays with Seirin... well, I will leave that up to your imaginations. ☺️

**Author's Note:**

> I don´t know WHERE exactly this fic came from... but I was browsing Pinterests and I found these pics...  
> https://sk.pinterest.com/pin/45036065012488467/  
> https://sk.pinterest.com/pin/828310556462919945/  
> https://sk.pinterest.com/pin/3096293478313700/ and then this fic came to me and I typed it :D  
> So I really don´t know what this is... it´s just totally RANDOM. I... I love platonic/brother AoKuro and I wanted to write something for them. And I tried sneaking in some _Angst and Feels _... but honestly? I don´t know if you can feel it, so...__
> 
> _  
> _Anyway, as always, please leave comments and tell me what you think. Comments make my world go round!_  
> _


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